Tachi versus katana in horseback fighting

Chris Evans · 24th October 2006, 04:33 PM

Hi,

1. I would like to add that one of the first things that the Japanese army did during the Meiji restoration was to import foreign war horse blood stock, and when they galloped off onto the battle fields of Korea, China and Manchuria, it wasn't on the native breed.

2. tsubame1. Thanks for posting those pictures. Do you know when they were painted? The one on the left looks 19th century... I have a painting, I believe from the Kamakura era, that depicts a samurai afoot, with a two handed grip on his tachi, so they were essentially a two handed sword as I said at the outset, though they could be used with one hand. However, as a Japanese expert explained to me, who was very conversant with Euro sabres, it is very difficult to effectively wield a Japanese sword with one hand (the hilt!) and this is why Musashi's advice was not taken up all that enthusiastically.

Cheers
Chris

24th October 2006, 04:33 PM	#19
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Hi, 1. I would like to add that one of the first things that the Japanese army did during the Meiji restoration was to import foreign war horse blood stock, and when they galloped off onto the battle fields of Korea, China and Manchuria, it wasn't on the native breed. 2. tsubame1. Thanks for posting those pictures. Do you know when they were painted? The one on the left looks 19th century... I have a painting, I believe from the Kamakura era, that depicts a samurai afoot, with a two handed grip on his tachi, so they were essentially a two handed sword as I said at the outset, though they could be used with one hand. However, as a Japanese expert explained to me, who was very conversant with Euro sabres, it is very difficult to effectively wield a Japanese sword with one hand (the hilt!) and this is why Musashi's advice was not taken up all that enthusiastically. Cheers Chris